Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/706

670 business at sixteen years of age in Hartford, Conn., went to New York in 1885, and in 1838 formed a partnership with Prof. Charles Davies for the pub- lication of the latter's mathematical works. He removed to Philadelphia in 1840, but returned to New York in 1845, and continued in the active management of his business till 1880. Soon after settling in New York he formed the plan of pub- lishing the " National Series of Standard School- Books," and the firm's principal business has been in educational works. Mr. Barnes was interested in the establishment of the elevated railroads of New York city, and was connected with the central branch of the Union Pacific railroad, and several banking and insurance institutions. He gave lib- erally, and left $25,000 to be equally divided be- tween twenty-five educational institutions, $25,000 to be equally divided between five religious socie- ties, and $45,000 to the Young men's Christian as- sociation of Cornell.

BAXTER, James Phinney, author, b. in Gor- harn, Me., 23 March, 1831. He was educated in Portland, Me., and Lynn, Mass., and became a mer- chant and manufacturer. He organized the asso- ciated charities in Portland, and was instrumental in founding the Maine industrial school for girls. Mr. Baxter in 1887 presented to the Portland public library, the Portland society of art, and the Maine historical society conjointly, a lot of land, and is erecting upon it, at a cost of $100,- 000, a building for these societies. He is the author of a volume of poems entitled "Idyls of the Year" (Portland, 1884); "The Trelawney Papers," published as the 3d volume of the " Docu- mentary History of Maine " (1884) ; " George Cleeve, of Casco Bay, 1630-1667" (1885); and "Sir Ferdi- nando Gorges and his Province of Maine " (1889). He has also edited " Digby's Journal," the writer of which served under Burgoyne, under the title of " The British Invasion from the North " (Albany, 1887), and the 4th volume of the " Documentary History of Maine," containing documents from American and foreign archives (Portland, 1889).

BELLAMY, Edward, author, b. in Chicopee Falls, Mass., 26 March, 1850. He was educated at Union college but was not graduated. In 1871, after studying law, he was admitted to practice. For several years he was assistant editor of the Springfield, Mass., " Union," an editorial writer of the New York " Evening Post," and a founder of the Springfield " Daily News." He is now a con- tributor to various magazines. His published works are "Six to One, a Nantucket Idyl " (New York, 1877) ; " Dr. Heidenhoff's Process " (1879) ; "Miss Ludington's Sister" (Boston, 1885); and " Looking Backward " (1888).

BENHAM, Andrew Ellicott Kennedy, naval officer, b. on Staten island, 10 April, 1832. He en- tered the navy as a midshipman, 24 Nov., 1847, and became a passed midshipman, 10 June, 1853. He was ordered to the " Princeton " in July, 1853, transferred to the "St. Mary's," Pacific squadron, and served on her till 1857, and was commissioned a master, 15 Sept., and lieutenant, 16 Sept., 1855. He was attached to the " Crusader," on the Home station, in 1860-'l, and when the civil war began he was made executive officer of the " Bienville," on the South Atlantic blockade, where he partici- pated in the capture of Port Royal, S. C, and in 1863 served in the " Sacramento." Benham was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1862, and given the " Penobscot," in the Western Gulf blockading squadron, until the close of the war in . He was on duty at the Brooklyn navy-yard in, and on special service in the "Susque- hanna" in 1867. He was promoted to com- mander, 25 July, 1866, served at the Brooklyn navy-yard in 1868-'9, as light-house inspector in 1870-'l, and commanded the monitors "Saugus" in 1871-2 and "Canonicus" in 1872-'3, on the North Atlantic station. He then served as light- house inspector in 1874-'8, was promoted to cap- tain, 12 March, 1875, and commanded the flag-ship " Richmond," on the Asiatic station, in 1878-'81. He was on duty at Portsmouth navy-yard from 8 Dec, 1881, until 15 Nov., 1884, when he was appointed lighthouse inspector, and served until January, 1888. He was promoted to the rank of commodore, 30 Oct., 1885.

BIDDLE, James Stokes, naval officer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 15 Jan., 1818. He was appointed a midshipman in the U. S. navy, 18 Oct., 1833, and became lieutenant, 20 Aug., 1844. He was engaged in the Florida war with a fleet of boats, and during the Mexican war he was in command of a gun-boat and served with the naval batteries in the siege of Vera Cruz and the capture of Tobasco. In 1856 he resigned from the navy and was elected president of the Shamokin Valley railroad. In 1861, at the opening of the civil war, he offered his services to the secretary of the navy, agreeing to retire' at the close of the war, but no formal action was taken in regard to it. In 1871 he was the Democratic candidate for mayor of Philadelphia, but was not elected. — His kinsman, Craig, jurist, b. in Philadelphia, 10 Jan., 1823, is a son of Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), was graduated at Princeton in 1841, and was admitted to the bar of Philadelphia in 1844. He represented Philadelphia in the legislature in 1849-'50. In April, 1861, he was made a major on the staff of Gen. Robert Patterson, and served in the Shenandoah valley. He was then appointed on the staff of Gov. Andrew G. Curtin, and was detailed to organize new regiments. On the invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania by the Confederate army in 1863, he joined a regiment of Philadelphia militia as a private, and marched to the front. In January, 1875, he was appointed a judge of the court of common pleas of Philadelphia, and in the following autumn was elected to the same office, as a Republican, by a large majority. In 1885 he was re-elected, having been renominated as well by the Democratic party as by his own. He has been president of the Philadelphia agricultural society, and has written on agriculture and on a variety of other subjects. He is a member of the Historical society of Pennsylvania, and has been one of its vice-presidents. — Another kinsman, Chapman, lawyer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 22 Jan., 1822 ; d. there, 9 Dec, 1880, was the son of Clement C. Biddle (1784-1855), who organized and was first captain of the State fencibles, and had command of the 1st volunteer light infantry in the war of 1812. The son was educated at St. Mary's college in Baltimore, and was admitted to the Philadelphia bar in 1848. He soon attained a lucrative practice, and was solicitor of the Pennsylvania railroad company, and subsequently counsel for that corporation. In April, 1861, he formed a company of artillery to aid in protecting Philadelphia, and was made its captain. During the summer of 1862 he under- took the raising of a regiment of infantry, which on 1 Sept., 1862, as the 121st Pennsylvania volunteers, took the field with him as its colonel. He took part in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and at Gettysburg had command of a brigade in the 1st corps. In December, 18(53, he resigned from the army and resumed the prac-